What bad online behavior should you be on the lookout for this week? Take note as you surf the Web in the coming days: cyber scammers are taking advantage of Hurricane Gustav - a storm that caused havoc in the U.S. and Caribbean - in order to prey on well-meaning consumers.
As readers of the Lavasoft blog know, we often come across products and websites that try to piggyback on the name of our company or our flagship product, Ad-Aware, to take advantage of you. And whenever we do, we make it a priority to get the word out to prevent users from getting scammed.
We've been alerted to a deceptive advertising method that you should be on the lookout for.
-for your unpatched Windows PC to be compromised by hackers.
That's the estimate reported late last month from the SANS Institutes Internet Storm Center. While "survival time" measurements of computers connected to the Internet vary and are debated by some, there's no doubt that patching your PC is imperative in staying secure online.
You're working at your computer when you realize something is not right; you're plagued with messages warning you that you may be infected. It's clear that you've been hit by malware. But where do you turn for help in sorting out the mess on your PC? Most likely to a knowledgeable friend or family member, and to trusted security software.
Getting ready for the busy back to school season? While PCs are likely a prerequisite for school-bound young adults, securing those laptops or desktops is unlikely to be a top priority.
Make sure that your kids have the knowledge and tools needed to secure their computers and to stay malware-free. Ease the workload by taking a look at the newly released August issue of Lavasoft News, full of tips on how to prepare both young children and young adults for the situations they'll encounter online.
If you follow security news, you may be familiar with the Domain Name System (DNS) security issue, discovered by researcher Dan Kaminsky, that was disclosed earlier this month. DNS is responsible for translating host names to IP addresses. The vulnerability allows hackers and phishers to redirect DNS queries; if a server is compromised, attackers could potentially redirect the traffic from that server to malicious websites.
Far too often, we come across websites that attempt to piggyback on the name "Lavasoft" or "Ad-Aware" in order to take advantage of you and your credit card.
We've recently been alerted to a site, new-official.com/adware, which charges a fee for the service they provide to consumers: offering a collection of links to free software, such as Ad-Aware 2008. Often times, these types of sites are designed to look similar to the program's original download site in order to fool consumers into believing they are paying for the legitimate software.
If it looks too good to be true...it probably is. The old adage rings true with the latest e-mail scam we're seeing, where fraudsters promise thousands in cash to compensate victims of Internet crime.
A full 86 percent of those surveyed in a recent industry study admit that they're worried about "unauthorized access to or misuse of their personal information." Are you one of them?
It's springtime and that means it's the proverbial time to tackle the grime that's built up in our homes over the past months. Around the house, you may have cleaned out the gutters, wiped down the windows, and uncluttered the closets?.But what about your PC? Maintain your computer by putting these items, below, on your spring cleaning to do list.
New data from the U.S. FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center on reported losses from Internet fraud shows a steep rise in online crime. From the report (available here):
- The Internet Crime Complaint Center received 206,884 complaints of web-based crimes during 2007.
Let's face it: filing taxes is not on the top of many peoples list of favorites. To make matters a bit more unfavorable, tax season comes with its own set of security issues. And for those in the U.S., tax time is here.
If you're one of the many who turn to the Internet to e-file tax returns, remember that what you submit contains personally identifiable information; in the hands of the wrong person, it's more than enough needed to steal your identity.
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